Does This Look Like A Guy Who Wants To Leave The Patriots?

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And yet, going into last night's primetime game between the Patriots and Bengals, we forgot two things we had learned time and time again:

a) Don't count out the Patriots. b) Don't count on the Bengals.

Final score: Patriots 43, Bengals 17.

Expecting the Bengals to show up for a big game, even one this early in the season, is the definition of insanity. Whether it's a playoff game or a Week 5 showdown with an AFC power, Cincinnati has perfected the ol' "shit the bed" technique.

Meanwhile, with reports swirling that Tom Brady could be gone from the Patriots "sooner than later" and that nobody is happy and everything is terrible, Brady throws for almost 300 yards with two touchdowns, the Pats backfield combines for over 200 yards and Rob Gronkowski gets his first 100 yard game of the season, saying afterwards:

"We made Tom Brady look like Tom Brady after you guys were criticizing him all week. The fans, everything. And it feels so good and he’s such a leader and he went over 50,000 yards today. He’s an unbelievable player and I’m so glad to play with him.”

And if pictures are worth a thousand words, what does this post from Brady's Facebook page hours after the game tell you?

The AFC East is, as always, an insanely winnable division. And the Pats just destroyed the only team that was definitively considered "good" by everybody. As always, it looks as though the reports and claims and theories pushed to the forefront by the mainstream media is just a bunch of white noise, while the team itself appears to be in fine, if not great, shape.

Let's get past the first quarter of the season before we panic, shall we?